


Heartbeat

by kristsune



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Panic Attacks, and just gets overwhelmed, diego is better at this than he thinks, poor klaus sees so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 19:08:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18580756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kristsune/pseuds/kristsune
Summary: Klaus has a panic attack and goes to the one he trusts the most.





	Heartbeat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [idareu2bme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/idareu2bme/gifts).



> This takes place when they are teens, probably before Klaus really starts getting into drugs, or maybe its at a point where he ran out. I honestly hadn't thought that far. lol  
> This is for Sam for the idea/inspiration <3 <3

Diego grabbed the knife under his pillow and leaned up on his elbow to see who was closing his door. 

“Klaus?”

“Can I come in?” Klaus’ breath was shaky and it sounded like he had been crying. Diego hated it when Klaus was upset. He always wanted to help, but never knew how. 

“You’re already in, Klaus, but y-you can stay. What’s w-wrong?” Diego left his knife under the pillow as he beckoned Klaus over. 

Klaus shrugged a shoulder, still taking shaky breaths in between every other word “I can’t breathe, my chest hurts, like it was before.” 

Klaus used to get panic attacks when he was younger, not that they ever called them that. Saying it out loud was admitting weakness, and they learned early on never to admit that where Reginald could hear. Well, at least  _ Diego _ learned that, and tried to impress upon Klaus to do the same. But Klaus had always been so soft, but not in a bad way, like Reginald thought. He was soft and kind and thought of others before himself. Diego always wanted to protect that as much as he could. 

Diego scooted over towards the side of his bed to give Klaus room to squish on next to him. They weren’t as small as they used to be when they had done this last. But they both fit, slightly curled, knees touching, and sharing the same pillow. 

Diego laid out his hand, wrist up, for Klaus to take hold of. Klaus wrapped his fingers around Diego’s wrist, fingertips resting on his pulse point. Klaus closed his eyes and took a shaky breath in. 

“I can’t tell what’s real anymore. Who is alive and who isn’t. I can’t even tell if  _ I’m _ even alive anymore.” Diego saw tears slip from under his closed eyelids soaking into the pillow. 

“You can feel m-my pulse. Right there under your fingers. I’m alive. I’m h-here.” Diego lifted his other hand, reaching over to Klaus, hesitating for just a moment, hoping he wasn’t doing the wrong thing. He didn’t want to make this any worse for Klaus than it obviously already was. He decided it really couldn’t  _ get _ any worse than this, and he needed to do  _ something _ . He hadn’t seen Klaus this upset in a while. He placed his hand on Klaus’ neck, thumb resting at the hinge of his jaw.

Klaus stifled a sob, tightening his grip on Diego’s wrist briefly before reverting to the loose hold, best to feel his pulse. “You are a-alive. You are here with m-me. You’re hand on my wrist, and mine on y-your neck.” Diego squeezed briefly when he mentioned the touch. “W-we are here, together.” 

Klaus’ shaky breathing slowly started to even out. Diego could just make out his lips moving, counting his heartbeats. He lightly pressed his forehead against Klaus’ and rubbed his thumb along his skin, wanting to keep him as grounded as possible.

Klaus eventually fell asleep like that, but Diego resolved to stay awake as long as he could, just in case he woke up from nightmares, or whatever else he might see. He’ll be tired tomorrow, but he could manage, and he would do whatever he could to help Klaus through this. 


End file.
